Black walnut tree named ‘Beineke 11’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree ( Juglans nigra  L.) is distinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate and fairly strong central stem tendency, thereby producing good timber qualities. The new variety has low production of nuts. This new variety of black walnut trees was discovered by the applicant near South Raub, Tippecanoe County, Ind. in a black walnut planting from previously selected trees for outstanding timber production potential. This selection has been designated as BW508, a seedling progeny of patented ‘Purdue 1’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,543) in records maintained by the applicant on the performance of this selection, and grafts made from the selection and will be known henceforth as ‘Beineke 11’.

Latin name of the genus and species: Juglans nigra L.

Variety denomination: ‘Beineke 11’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) was discoveredby the applicant near South Raub, Tippecanoe County, Ind., in a blackwalnut planting of seedling progeny from previously selected trees foroutstanding timber producing potential. This selection has beendesignated as BW508, a seedling progeny of patented ‘Purdue 1’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 4,543) in records maintained by the applicant on theperformance of this selection, and grafts made from the selection andwill be known henceforth as ‘Beineke 11’. The male parent is unknown, asis generally the case with black walnut trees. (Beineke, 1989).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) isdistinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate, strong centralstem tendency, and good straightness, thereby producing excellent timberqualities, the trait of commercial interest. ‘Beineke 11’ was 11 yearsold when described at a location near South Raub, Ind.

After the original clone was selected, and assigned an identity numberof BW508, the aforesaid tree was reproduced by collecting scions from itand grafting these onto common black walnut rootstocks at AmericanForestry Technologies, Inc., West Point, Ind. These asexualreproductions ran true to the originally discovered tree and to eachother in all respects.

Color values used were from the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues.However, color is too dependent on weather conditions and fertilizationto be consistent or distinctive. For example, leaves can be made adeeper green by applying nitrogen. Walnut tree leaves turn yellow as theseason progresses, especially if there is a lack of rainfall. As blackwalnut meats dry, they become darker. Simply being on the ground for aweek causes the outer shell to darken. Bark color involves many shadesof gray through brown and black.

‘Beineke 11’ is hardy in USDA zones 4,5,6,7, and 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the timber form of ‘Beineke 11’.

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the leaves of ‘Beineke 11’.

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing the nuts of ‘Beineke 11’.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANTS

The botanical details of this new and distinct variety of walnut treeare as follows:

-   Tree:    -   -   Size.—Large, 42 ft. at 11 years; crown diameter of 20 ft.        -   Vigor.—Vigorous.        -   Growth rate.—Very rapid, 40.8% larger in diameter than the            average of parental Purdue 1 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,543)            grafts, planted the same year on the same land. Diameter            growth rate (at 4½ feet above the ground) at 11 years was            8.8 inches for an average growth rate of 0.80 inches per            year.        -   Form.—Good timber form (form rating) not as good as parental            Purdue 1 (form rating 1) (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,543).            ‘Beineke 11’, averages 2, no crooks, very strong central            stem tendency. Stem form was 1% poorer than the average            (1.98) of the entire plantation. Stem form was obtained by            subjectively rating the straightness of the main stem on a            scale of 1 to 5 with 1 representing a perfectly straight            stem; 2, slight crook or deviation of the central stem (no            crooks); 3, about average straightness; 4, several severe            crooks or a single fork; and 5, a very crooked, forked            and/or leaning central stem.

The trees of the present invention are grown in plantations, not in openfields (not natural stands). In plantations, trees are upright and haveno distinctive or characteristic crown shape because all branches areseeking to grow upwards.

-   Branches: Diameter depends on age and size of tree, varies from ½″    to 12″, bark color varies from grays to browns.-   Leaves:    -   -   Compound leaves.—Size — Large; average length — 18.93″;            width 8.38″. Compared to ‘Purdue 1’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.            4,543), the leaves of ‘Beineke 11’ are much longer. ‘Beinke            11’ averages 4.4 inches longer than ‘Purdue 1’.        -   Leaflets.—Size — Large; average length — 4.18″; average            width 1.80″; average number of leaflets — 19.0 — lanceolate;            acutely pointed, rounded base; the leaflets of ‘Beineke 11’            are 0.2 inches shorter and 0.3 inches wider than ‘Purdue 1’.            ‘Purdue 1’ has an unusually long, narrow leaflet compared to            most other black walnut trees. ‘Beineke 11’ averages 1.2            fewer leaflets than ‘Purdue 1’. Leaflet number appears to be            a consistent trait within tree and year to year.        -   Thickness.—Thin.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Margin.—Serrated.        -   Petioles.—Short.        -   Color.—Topside — dark green (5GY3/4 by the Munsell Color            Chart for Plant Tissues); Underside — light green (5GY5/4 on            the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues).        -   Anthracnose resistance.—Average.-   Nut:    -   -   Size.—Large; average length — 1.53″; average diameter in            suture plane — 1.20″; average diameter cheek to cheek —            1.45″.        -   Uniformity of size.—Not much variation.        -   Form.—Rounded; flattened in suture plane. See FIG. 3.        -   Blossom end.—Pointed, acute.        -   Basal end.—Flat.        -   Thickness of shell.—Thick.        -   Ridges.—Rounded off; not sharp.        -   Color.—Mottled, 5YR3/2 and 2.5YR3/4 by the Munsell Color            Chart for Plant Tissues.

The nut ‘Beineke 11’ averages 0.2 inches shorter than ‘Purdue 1’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 4,543). ‘Beineke 11’ averages 0.1 inches wider in thesuture plane and 0.2 inches wider cheek to cheek than ‘Purdue 1’.

-   Nut with husk:    -   -   Size.—Medium; average length — 2.51″; Average suture plane            width — 2.10′; average. Cheek to cheek width — 2.31″.        -   Husk thickness.—0.9 inches.        -   Form.—Rounded; slightly flattened in suture plane; slightly            elongated.        -   Blossom end.—Slight point.        -   Basal end.—Rounded.        -   Surface.—Warty; slightly waxy.        -   Color. —Greenish yellow, 2.5 GY 6/6 by the Munsell Color            Chart for Plant Tissues.

The nut in the husk of ‘Beineke 11’ is the same length as ‘Purdue 1’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,543). ‘Beineke 11’ average 0.2 inches wider inthe suture plane and 0.25 inches wider cheek to cheek than ‘Purdue 1’.The husk of ‘Beineke 11’ averages 0.15 inches thicker than ‘Purdue 1’.

-   Flowering habit:    -   -   Age at which trees start producing catkins.—Early, it takes            about 4-5 years to flower, but the flower number varies with            the age of the tree.        -   Number of catkins produced.—Abundant.        -   Age at which trees start producing pistillate            flowers.—Early, about 4-5 years.        -   Number of pistillate flowers produced by young            trees.—Abundant.        -   Lateral shoots producing pistillate flowers.—Yes.        -   Number of pistillate flowers per inflorescence.—3 to 6.-   Flower season: Flowers typically in May in Indiana. There are    probably 1-million pollen per catkin. Female flowers are about 1/16″    long and grow to two “pollen pick up points” which subsequently    break apart. Pollen exists as “dust” which is not feasible to    quantitate.-   Nut crop:    -   -   Bearing.—Annual.        -   Productivity.—Low.        -   Ripening period.—Early — mid September.        -   Evenness of maturity (period between first and last nuts are            ready for harvest).—Even.        -   Quality.—Good.        -   Distribution of nuts on tree.—Throughout.            GENETIC METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION-   DNA “fingerprint” for identification of ‘Beineke 11’:

DNA was isolated from the leaves of ‘Beineke 11’. For purposes of DNAfingerprinting, eleven highly polymorphic loci from a suite ofmicrosatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) were chosen.Microsatellites sizes were checked against previously publishedstandards and verified by a second independent analysis. The“fingerprint” is the collection of microsatellite allele sizes at eachlocus for ‘Beineke 11’.

DNA was isolated from the leaves of 4 black walnut trees obtained fromWalter Beineke using CTAB extraction buffer (50 mM TRIS-HCL, pH 8.0, 20mM EDTA, pH 8.0, 0.7 M NaCl 0.4 M LiCl, 2% SDS, 2% CTAB, nd 1% PVP).After isolation the DNA from each tree was quantified and diluted withnanopure distilled water to a final concentration of 5 ng/microliter.The samples were stored in 96-well plates at −20 degrees C.

For purposes of DNA fingerprinting, eleven highly polymorphic loci froma suite of microsatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) werechosen. Amplification of each locus was performed with an MJ ResearchTetrad Thermocycler (Waltham, Mass.) using 10 microliter reactions in96-well plates. The PCR reaction mix contained 2 microliter of theaforementioned black walnut DNA, 5 microliter Sigma Taq ReadyMix (SigmaAldrich, St. Louis, Mo.), 0.4 microliter of a 20 pmol mixture of forwardand reverse fluorescence labeled primer, and 3 microliter PCR gradewater supplied with the Sigma ReadyMix. PCR amplification was for 30cycles of 94 degrees C. for 20 sec, 55 degrees C. for 30 sec, and 72degrees C. for 1 min. All primers were annealed at 55 degrees C. Theproducts were then held at 4 degrees C. until aliquots could be loadedinto 6% Long Ranger (polyacrylamide) denaturing gels (BMA, Rockland,Me.). For each individual 0.5 microliter PCR product was added to 0.75microliter blue dextran and 0.25 microliter of CXR 350 bp LadderStandard (Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, Calif.) in a new96-well plate. The samples were denatured for 2 min at 95degrees C. andloaded onto a CAL96 96-well laminated membrane comb (The Gel Company,San Francisco, Calif.). Electrophoresis was at 3,000 V, 60 mA, 200Watts, 50degrees C. for 2 hours using an ABI 377 (Perkin Elmer) with 36cm plates and 0.2 mm spacers. The resulting data was analyzed usingABI's GeneScan 3.1.2 and Genotyper 2.5 (Perkin Elmer). Microsatellitesizes were checked against previously published standards and verifiedby a second independent analysis. The “fingerprint” is the collection ofmicrosatellite allele sizes at each locus for each tree.

Locus Forward (SEQ ID NOS: 1-10) WGA6 CCATGAAACTTCATGCGTTG WGA24TCCCCCTGAAATCTTCTCCT WGA27 AACCCTACAACGCCTTGATG WGA32CTCGGTAAGCCACACCAATT WGA72 AAACCACCTAAAACCCTGCA WGA89ACCCATCTTTCACGTGTGTG WGA90 CTTGTAATCGCCCTCTGCTC WGA97GGAGAGGAAAGGAATCCAAA WGA69 TTAGTTAGCAAACCCACCCG WGA76AGGGCACTCCCTTATGAGGT WGA82 TGCCGACACT6CCTCACTTC Locus Reverse (SEQ IDNOS: 11-22) WGA6 CATCCCAAGCGAAGGTTG WGA24 TTCTCGTGGTGCTTGTTGAG WGA27TGCTCAGGCTCCACTTCC WGA32 ACGGGCAGTGTATGCATGTA WGA72 ACCCATCCATGATCTTCCAAWGA89 TGCCTAATTAGCAATTTCCA WGA90 TACCTGCAACCCGTTACACA WGA97TTGAACAAAAGGCCGTTTTC WGA69 AGATGCACAGACCAACCCTC WGA76CAGTCTCATTCCCTTTTTCC WGA82 CGTGATGTACGACGGCTG

The best interpretation of the current data indicates that theprobability that any other black walnut tree would have the collectionof microsatellite allele sizes listed is estimated to be less than3×10⁻¹⁴.

Sizes (bp) of microsatellites at 10 loci used to fingerprint ‘Beineke11’ (2 alleles at each locus).

Microsatellites used to fingerprint ‘Beineke 11’: WGA6 WGA27 WGA32 WGA72WGA89 142 144 219 227 169 191 147 147 197 209 WGA90 WGA97 WGA69 WGA76WGA82 158 162 155 171 176 176 232 232 188 188

DOCUMENTS CITED

Beineke, Walter F. (1989) Twenty years of black walnut geneticimprovement at Purdue University North J. Appl. For. 6:68-71.

Woeste K., Burns, R., Rhodes, O., and Michler, C. (2002) Thirtypolymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci from black walnut. Journal ofHeredity. 93:58-60.

1. A new and distinct variety of black walnut tree named ‘Beineke 11’substantially as illustrated and described, which has excellent timberquality, extremely rapid growth rate, and fairly strong central stemtendency.